JPH1127651A - Remote monitoring system by means of image - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To collect image data at a remote place in a very short time and to store and to manage recorded image data easily at a low cost with security by compressing a photographed image, sending the compressed image data to a management center, where the data are recorded. SOLUTION: An image photographed by a supervisory camera 3 installed at a supervised place is compressed by an image compression encoder 5. The compressed image data is sent by an image transmission means 10 to a management center 2 installed apart from the supervised place 1. The image data sent to the management center 2 are compressed further by an image compression encoder 6 and recorded in an image data recording means 7 via a management server 8. Then the image data recording means 7 reads the compressed image data as required and an image expansion decoder 11 decodes the data into an original image and the image is checked.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a remote monitoring system using images, and is intended for monitoring in a facility that requires security monitoring such as a 24-hour store, a convenience store, a bank, a consumer finance or its unmanned store. In addition to being able to collect image data from a plurality of places recorded by a camera in a remote place in a very short time, the stored image data can be stored and managed easily, at low cost, and safely. It is an object of the present invention to provide a remote monitoring system based on an image, which can easily expand and transfer the obtained image data.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, surveillance cameras are installed in stores such as 24-hour stores, convenience stores, banks, consumer finance, and their unmanned stores to prevent crimes such as robbery and theft. Is recorded as video on a video tape. Then, all the video tapes on which images captured by the surveillance cameras are recorded are collectively collected in a specific place such as a management headquarters and stored for a certain period of time (for example, about two weeks in a convenience store).

[0003]

However, when the number of stores such as 24-hour stores, convenience stores, banks, consumer finance, or their unmanned stores is extremely large, the number of video tapes collected at the headquarters is enormous. It becomes something. Therefore, a very large space for storing such a large number of video tapes is required, and it takes time and effort to collect and distribute video tapes from each store. It was never small. In addition, videotapes with video recordings will be temporarily stored in stores, but criminals may steal or break these tapes to hide their evidence of crime. , Not good for security.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, and the invention of claim 1 is directed to a 24-hour store, a convenience store, a bank,
A surveillance system for monitoring a place that requires security surveillance, such as consumer finance or its unmanned store, a surveillance camera attached to a room requiring surveillance and taking an image of the room, and an operation of the surveillance camera Camera control means for controlling the image data, image compression means for compressing an image captured by the monitoring camera, image data transmission means for transmitting image data compressed by the image compression means to the management center,
Image compression means provided in the management center for further compressing the transmitted image data, image data recording means for recording the image data compressed by the image compression means, and image data compressed by the image compression means. An image remote monitoring system comprising: a management server for managing; and an image decompression means for decompressing image data compressed by the image compression means. The invention according to claim 2 is characterized in that the image compression means is configured to cut and compress an image in which there is no motion of a person other than a specific person registered in advance such as an employee. An image-based remote monitoring system according to claim 1. The invention according to claim 3 is the image-based remote monitoring system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the surveillance camera is configured to operate only when a human motion occurs. The invention according to claim 4 is characterized in that the surveillance camera is configured to operate only when a motion of a person other than a specific person registered in advance such as an employee occurs. This is a remote monitoring system based on the image of FIG.

[0005]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of a remote monitoring system using images according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is an overall view showing the configuration of an image-based remote monitoring system according to the present invention.
It is a place requiring security surveillance (hereinafter referred to as a "monitoring place") such as a time-operated store, convenience store, bank, consumer finance or its unmanned store, and (2) is located away from a place requiring security surveillance. It is a management center provided at the location.

In the monitoring place (1), a monitoring camera (3) for taking a picture of the inside of the store, camera control means (4) for controlling the operation of the monitoring camera (3), and a picture taken by the monitoring camera. Image compression encoder for compressing images (5)
And a control processing means (11) including a CPU for controlling the camera control means (4) and the image compression encoder (5).
Is installed. On the other hand, the management center (2) records an image compression encoder (6) for further compressing the image data transmitted from the monitoring location (1), and image data compressed by the image compression encoder (6). Image data recording means (7), and a management server (8) for managing image data compressed by the image compression encoder (6)
A plurality of management terminals (9) connected to the management server (8); and image data decompression means (1) for decompressing image data compressed by the image compression encoders (5) and (6).
2) is installed.

[0007] The monitoring place (1) and the management center (2)
It is communicably connected by the image data transmission means (10), and the monitoring place (1) and the management center (2) are provided by the communication functions provided in the image compression encoders (5) and (6).
Image data can be communicated with the device. In the present invention, the type of the image data transmission means (10) is not particularly limited as long as image data can be communicated between the monitoring place (1) and the management center (2), and an ISDN line, a PHS network, Alternatively, a relay transmission means such as a satellite-based communication network using a geostationary satellite or an orbiting satellite, which is most suitable for the distance between the monitoring location (1) and the management center (2) and the environment (infrastructure), etc. Can be selected and used. The image data transmitting means (10) according to the present invention includes a monitoring location (1)
It can be used not only for transmitting the image data between the management center and the management center (2), but also for transmitting the image data to a police authority or the like, as described later.

[0008] As the image compression encoders (5) and (6), a semiconductor chip compliant with MPEG4 is used in order to compress the image to a bit rate as low as possible. still,
MPEG4 is MPEG (Moving Picture Image), an international standard for compression and decompression of moving images.
Among the coding experts group, the transfer rate is several kb / s and standardized mainly for use in mobile communication.

The image data expansion means (12) is an image expansion decoder provided for expanding the image data compressed by the image compression encoders (5) and (6) to return to the original image. The image compression encoder (5),
As (6), it is preferable to use a semiconductor chip in which the functions of compression (encoder) and decompression (decoder) are integrated. By using a compressible / decompressible semiconductor chip, the image data decompression means (12) can be used. There is no need to provide a separate system, and it is not necessary to separately construct a system for image restoration and reproduction, and the entire system can be simplified and made more efficient.

The type of image data recording means (7) used in the present invention is not particularly limited.
It is preferable to use a digital video disk.

The management server (8) is provided for managing the image data compressed by the image compression encoder (6). More specifically, the management server (8) sends the compressed image data to the image data recording means (7). And the transfer of image data by the image data transmission means (10) is controlled and managed. A plurality of management terminals (9) are connected to the management server (8), and actual operations are performed by the management terminals (9).

In the present invention, the surveillance camera (3)
May be operated for 24 hours, but may be configured to operate only when a human motion occurs. Specifically, sensors such as an infrared sensor, a thermal sensor, and an ultrasonic sensor are installed so as to be able to detect the presence or absence of movement of a person in a room, and the output of this sensor is determined by the camera control means (4). The monitoring camera (3) may be configured to operate in conjunction with the on / off control of the monitoring camera (3), and the monitoring camera (3) may be operated only when the movement of a person in the room is detected by the sensor.

[0013] The surveillance camera (3) may be configured to operate only when a person other than an insider such as an employee moves. In this case, for example, an insider such as an employee is provided with a transmitter for transmitting a signal at a specific frequency, and a directional receiver for receiving a signal from the transmitter is installed in the monitoring camera (3). The sensor is configured to detect the movement of a person in the room, and when the movement of the person is not detected by the infrared sensor, an off signal is sent unconditionally from the camera control means (4) to the surveillance camera (3). The photographing is stopped, and if a person's movement is detected by the infrared sensor, the receiver detects whether or not a signal is transmitted from the detected person. If the signal is transmitted, the monitoring camera (3) ) May be configured to send an off signal to stop photographing. Thus, the surveillance camera (3)
Is activated only when a person's movement occurs, or only when a person other than an insider moves, so that the amount of recorded images can be greatly reduced without recording unnecessary images for crime prevention. And management of image data becomes easy.

Further, by dividing the image captured by the surveillance camera (3) into a large number of square frames of 500 to 1000 and detecting only the movement of an object moving in a certain direction, the room due to the wind can be detected. It is also possible to detect only a motion of a person without detecting a motion having no direction such as a shaking of an object.

It is preferable to display the date and time of photographing on the image photographed by the surveillance camera (3). This is because by displaying the date and time on the captured image, even after cutting unnecessary images and compressing and recording the image, it is possible to determine when the recorded image is the captured image at the time of image playback This is because it can be accurately grasped.

The image compression by the image compression encoders (5) and (6) is basically configured so as to perform image compression by omitting an image in which a person does not move. It is preferable to omit the image without any motion of a person and to compress the image. This makes it possible to further reduce the amount of recorded images and to more easily manage image data. In this case, the image compression encoder (5) at the monitoring place (1) first compresses the image without moving the image without any motion, sends the image to the management center (2), and then compresses the image at the management center (2). The encoder (6) may further be configured to omit and compress even an image in which there is no movement of a person other than an insider such as an employee.

The basic operation of the image-based remote monitoring system according to the present invention will be briefly described below. First, an image captured by the monitoring camera (3) installed at the monitoring location (1) is compressed by the image compression encoder (5). Next, the compressed image data is transmitted to the image data transmitting means (1).
0) is sent to the management center (2) located away from the monitoring place (1). The image data sent to the management center (2) is further compressed by the image compression encoder (6) and recorded in the image data recording means (7) via the management server (8).

In the management center (2), the recorded compressed image data is stored for a certain period of time. For example, when a crime has occurred and the police request has been received, the compressed image data is compressed from the image data recording means (7). After reading the image data and restoring it to the original image by the image decompression decoder (11),
The image is transmitted to the police authorities via the image data transmission means (10) to check the image. At this time, if an IC integrated with the functions of compression (encoder) and decompression (decoder) is used as the image compression encoder (6), the decompression and restoration operation of the image is also performed from the same management terminal (9). It is preferable because it can be performed.

In the example shown in the figure, the monitoring place (1) and the management center (2) are shown in a one-to-one correspondence.
In the monitoring system according to the present invention, it goes without saying that a plurality of monitoring locations (1) are usually communicably connected to one management center (2).

[0020]

As described above, the present invention according to claim 1 is applicable to a 24-hour store, a convenience store, a bank,
A surveillance system for monitoring a place that requires security surveillance, such as consumer finance or its unmanned store, a surveillance camera attached to a room requiring surveillance and taking an image of the room, and an operation of the surveillance camera Camera control means for controlling the image data, image compression means for compressing an image captured by the monitoring camera, image data transmission means for transmitting image data compressed by the image compression means to the management center,
Image compression means provided in the management center for further compressing the transmitted image data, image data recording means for recording the image data compressed by the image compression means, and image data compressed by the image compression means. A remote monitoring system based on an image, comprising: a management server for managing; and an image decompression means for decompressing the image data compressed by the image compression means.
Image data from multiple locations recorded by surveillance cameras can be collected in a very short time from a remote location without the hassle of collecting and delivering as in the past, and a large space for storing and managing the recorded image data It can be performed easily and at low cost without the need for it. In addition, since it is not necessary to temporarily store the recording medium on which the photographed image is recorded in the store as in the past, there is no danger of the recording medium being stolen. It works.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, the image compression means is configured to cut and compress an image in which there is no motion of a person other than a specific person registered in advance, such as an employee. The image-based remote monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the image related to the movement of an employee or the like that is not necessary for crime prevention is compressed, so that the amount of recorded images can be greatly reduced, and the management of image data can be reduced. This has the effect of being easier.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the remote monitoring system according to the first or second aspect, the surveillance camera is configured to operate only when a human motion occurs. In addition, unnecessary images unnecessary for crime prevention are not recorded, the amount of recorded images can be reduced, and the effect that image data management becomes easy can be achieved.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the surveillance camera is configured to operate only when a motion of a person other than a specific person registered in advance such as an employee occurs. Since the remote monitoring system based on the images described in 1 to 3 is used, images relating to movements of employees who are not necessary for crime prevention are not recorded, so that the amount of recorded images can be greatly reduced, and image data management becomes easier. This has the effect.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall view showing the configuration of an image-based remote monitoring system according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 1 monitoring place 2 management center 3 monitoring camera 4 camera control means 5 image compression means 6 image compression means 7 image data recording means 8 management server 10 image data transmission means 12 image expansion means

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A surveillance system for monitoring a place that requires security surveillance, such as a 24-hour store, a convenience store, a bank, a consumer finance or an unmanned store thereof, and is mounted in a room that requires surveillance. A surveillance camera for photographing the inside of the room, camera control means for controlling the operation of the surveillance camera, image compression means for compressing an image photographed by the surveillance camera, and image data compressed by the image compression means. Image data transmission means for transmitting to the management center, image compression means provided in the management center for further compressing the transmitted image data, image data recording means for recording the image data compressed by the image compression means, A management server that manages the image data compressed by the image compression unit; and a management server that expands the image data compressed by the image compression unit. Remote monitoring system according to an image, wherein the image expanding means, to become consist of. 2. The image compression means according to claim 1, wherein said image compression means is configured to cut and compress an image in which there is no movement of a person other than a specific person registered in advance such as an employee. A remote monitoring system based on the image according to 1. 3. The remote surveillance system according to claim 1, wherein the surveillance camera is configured to operate only when a human motion occurs. 4. The image according to claim 1, wherein the surveillance camera is configured to be activated only when a motion of a person other than a specific person registered in advance such as an employee occurs. By remote monitoring system.